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Paralegals and Legal Assistants resume skills and keywords

In 178 Paralegals and Legal Assistants job postings from 103 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (82 %), Attention to detail (69 %), Litigation (54 %), Organizational skills (35 %) and Legal research (28 %). Of the top 40 skills, 28 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 12 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Paralegals and Legal Assistants job postings

Skills requested in 178 Paralegals and Legal Assistants job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication82 %Soft skill
Attention to detail69 %Soft skill
Litigation54 %Hard skill
Organizational skills35 %Soft skill
Case management28 %Hard skill
Microsoft Office27 %Tool
Collaboration24 %Soft skill
Microsoft Outlook21 %Tool
Microsoft Word21 %Tool
Corporate Governance21 %Hard skill
Microsoft Excel20 %Tool
Litigation Support18 %Hard skill
Trial Preparation17 %Hard skill
Leadership17 %Soft skill
AI Tools17 %Tool
Logistics16 %Hard skill
Document Management16 %Hard skill
Time Management13 %Soft skill
Professionalism13 %Soft skill
Microsoft PowerPoint12 %Tool
Project Management12 %Hard skill
Document Review12 %Hard skill
Westlaw11 %Tool
Contract management11 %Hard skill
Document Management Systems11 %Hard skill
Claims10 %Hard skill
Teamwork10 %Soft skill
Accountability10 %Soft skill
Proofreading10 %Hard skill
Arbitration10 %Hard skill
Administrative Support10 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills10 %Soft skill
Problem Solving10 %Soft skill
Process improvement10 %Hard skill
Mergers and Acquisitions9 %Hard skill
Due diligence9 %Hard skill
Google Workspace8 %Tool
Mentoring8 %Soft skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (20)

Soft skills (12)

Tools and software (8)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these paralegals and legal assistants postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

law firm 56 %outside counsel 22 %case files 20 %personal injury 17 %sound judgment 16 %federal court 14 %document collection 13 %multiple priority 13 %meet deadlines 13 %assist attorneys 13 %attorney review 13 %minimal supervision 12 %entity management 12 %state courts 12 %word excel 11 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Paralegals and Legal Assistants resume example. Then prepare for the Paralegals and Legal Assistants interview questions that test them.

Build a paralegals and legal assistants resume with these skills

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Paralegals and Legal Assistants resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Paralegals and Legal Assistants resume?

In 178 Paralegals and Legal Assistants job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (82 %), Attention to detail (69 %), Litigation (54 %), Organizational skills (35 %) and Legal research (28 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Paralegals and Legal Assistants resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 12 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (82 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Paralegals and Legal Assistants postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Microsoft Office (27 %), Microsoft Outlook (21 %), Microsoft Word (21 %), Microsoft Excel (20 %), AI Tools (17 %) and Microsoft PowerPoint (12 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 178 public Paralegals and Legal Assistants job postings at 103 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (126), Lever (32) and Ashby (20). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 178. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 178 public job postings for paralegals and legal assistants roles (titles such as Paralegal, Litigation Paralegal, Legal Assistant and Senior Paralegal) at 103 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 126, Lever 32 and Ashby 20. Employers in the sample include Morgan & Morgan, P.A., Gibson Dunn, Tyson & Mendes LLP, Alexander Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, Carta and Wilson Elser - Business & Legal Professionals. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 178. Updated quarterly. Download the data: paralegals-and-legal-assistants-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.